Deltora Quest 1 and 12
by Yami Moh
Summary: Chapter 1: Lief is back at Del, but life seems oddly incomplete as he tries to return life back to normal. Things keep going wrong, and his odd relationship with Jasmine is starting to take shape but just as it does... read to find out :P


**Chapter 1 **

**The 'New' Del**

Lief looked around, amazed at how much Del had changed over the past few weeks. He was standing at the window looking over his kingdom. His mother was sitting in her armchair, sewing. She turned and saw him at the window.

Lief heard her sigh, "What ever is the matter dear? You have not seemed yourself these past few weeks." She smiled at him. "Do not worry yourself, mother, it is just my life does not seem to be as full of happiness as it used to be."

All of a sudden one of the maids came barging into the room, "Hurry there is trouble out in the streets!" She gasped, clearly out of breath. Lief grabbed his sword and ran outside. He paused to feel the fresh autumn breeze against his face.

As soon as Lief 's eyes adjusted to the bright sun he saw his three best friends, Apollo, Heath and Matthias struggling with something. "What have you got?" asked Lief, sounding confused, "What is it?"

"It is a wild girl!" exclaimed Andrew excitedly, "Come and see!" Lief slowly walked over, not knowing what to expect. When he saw he let out a single word: "Jasmine!" His friends stared.

"You know this freak?" asked Matthias finally said.

"_Yes_, I do!" exclaimed Lief, "And she is not a freak! Jasmine, are you alright?" Jasmine appeared to have given up trying to escape.; "Just get me out of here Lief, _please_." was all she whimpered.

Suddenly, before Lief had time to murder his friends, he heard the sound of running feet coming towards him. He turned and saw Barda, and the chief cook, coming towards them carrying a stretcher. Barda looked at Jasmine, and then at Lief. " You got the message too?" he asked in surprise. "Yes, I did- these guys here, were terrorising Jasmine." Lief threw a sharp glance at his friends. "Yes, well that is what I heard, too." Answered Barda through clenched teeth. Apollo, Heath and Matthias started to back off, as if Barda's huge figure was too much for them to handle, then they suddenly turned and started running. Halfway down the street, Apollo turned and yelled angrily, " You may be a king, but being a king is not everything, and by the way, you really are friends with her, are you not? Ha! She cannot even defend herself!" And with that they were gone. Lief felt himself boiling over with anger. Then, he heard a soft thud, and turned around to see Jasmine fall to the ground in unconsciousness. This time, though, he could not control his anger.

"Jasmine!" cried Lief in terror. "Jasmine! Get her up on the stretcher, Barda, hurry!"

Barda picked Jasmine up and put her on the stretcher. He shook her shoulder gently, but she was as limp as a rag doll. They hurried up to the castle to tell Lief's Mother.

When she saw Jasmine, Lief's mother said that a good idea might be to throw cold water on Jasmine's face. As Queen Sharn (Lief's mother) helped Barda prepare the water Lief remembered something about Jasmine not liking water but… oh, well he would do anything to wake Jasmine up, to see her smile again…Whoa! Lief was getting way off track.

She'll be fine he thought as he took the bucket from Barda. Lief was just about to throw the water when Barda suddenly shouted: "Stop! She is awake!" Lief tried to stop, but the water still poured from the bucket. Lief rushed up to Jasmine to see if she was all right, but was suddenly backing up again as Jasmine landed a punch square on his nose. "Ohhhhh," moaned Lief with pain, holding his nose.

"It serves you right, you should know that I _hate _cold water." She said angrily, but with a small smile on her sun-tanned countenance.

"Hush now, Jasmine," said Queen Sharn soothingly "It was my idea to do that."

Then, Lief heard the blacksmith calling from outside: "Your majesty, may you come outside for a moment, I need some help over here!"

"I would better be going, then." Said Lief, and hurried out as his mother took Jasmine upstairs to wash herself.


End file.
